Cadillac or competing brand model ? Why ? Discussion, thinking of buying a bmw... in Item Specific Cadillac Discussion; i currently own a '94 STS, but my birthdays coming up and i'm thinking of buying myself a bmw as ...

thinking of buying a bmw...

i currently own a '94 STS, but my birthdays coming up and i'm thinking of buying myself a bmw as well.

i don't have much of a budget, probably around $3000 - $4000 (and i'm talking canadian dollars). i'm currently looking at some 318i's from around '92 - '94. the thing is though, i want to go into this knowing i'm making an educated decision, so i'd like to get some feedback first - not even on that model or year specifically, but bmw in general.

i'm asking you guys becaused i want varied opinions.. i don't feel like only hearing from a bunch of bimmer fanboys.

and i gotta admit i was leaning more towards a benz, but found i'd have to spend about double my budget to find something with the look i want.

Re: thinking of buying a bmw...

Well with only $3000-$4000 bucks, you won't get a mint condition BMW. I bought mine a few months ago, and it thoroughly lives up to its name "The Ultimate Driving Machine". With your budget, however, I wouldn't look at BMW maybe a Toyota?

Re: thinking of buying a bmw...

while the 318 is much more affordable, sounds like going for the 2.5 is worth the extra dough.

jesda, you say go for 94 or newer - do you know if there's much difference in the older 325's, maybe 93 or 92?

speedy, i think i'm going to push my budget somewhat. however i will be waiting a lil while before i buy anything, so i'm gonna wait to see if anything comes along, and if so, i'll jump on it no matter what. as far as toyotas go, yea they're reliable, but i'd like to get something sexier and more luxurious. the celicas are nice i guess.. but nah. we do own a 4runner though, and it works well with all the snow that's coming.

danbuc.. haha i think i'm gonna wait on that,

playdrv4me, the convertibles are sexy, especially hardtops, if i find one i can afford i can guarantee you i'm gonna snatch it up.

Re: thinking of buying a bmw...

while the 318 is much more affordable, sounds like going for the 2.5 is worth the extra dough.

jesda, you say go for 94 or newer - do you know if there's much difference in the older 325's, maybe 93 or 92?

speedy, i think i'm going to push my budget somewhat. however i will be waiting a lil while before i buy anything, so i'm gonna wait to see if anything comes along, and if so, i'll jump on it no matter what. as far as toyotas go, yea they're reliable, but i'd like to get something sexier and more luxurious. the celicas are nice i guess.. but nah. we do own a 4runner though, and it works well with all the snow that's coming.

danbuc.. haha i think i'm gonna wait on that,

playdrv4me, the convertibles are sexy, especially hardtops, if i find one i can afford i can guarantee you i'm gonna snatch it up.

thanks-

Their is not much difference between the 92 and 93 BMW 3 Series. I do know that in 1993 the 325i got VANOS, other then that the cars are identical inside and out. I knew a guy who had a 1992 325i and it was dead reliable, it did not even have the electrical issues that are common to German cars.

Re: thinking of buying a bmw...

If you go topless, the convertible 3-series did not get the new body style until 1994. The 318 will constantly remind you that you paid less, and with used car prices the way they are, it wont be much less. Expect to pay maybe $600-$1200 more for the inline 6.

Acceleration in the 318 convertible is quite poor, since 138hp is asked to move nearly 3400lbs of mass. On the other hand, the sedan and coupe are surprisingly light at 2900lbs, so depending on what youre used to, the 318 with a roof might be fine.

Re: thinking of buying a bmw...

Resident bimmer fanboy chiming in...

Have you ever thought about importing a vehicle from the US? That's what I did with my last two vehicles. The paperwork and hoops are annoying, and the RIV is filled with idiots, but it saved me $1000 the first time and $2000 the second time. BTW that's including all the fees and repair costs involved with bringing them over. You would have to pay more of a fee than I did because you want a car manufactured outside of Canada or the US, but you would still save quite a bit.

In my opinion, cars are overpriced here in Canada. I have a 93 escort with a BB value of about $800 US. I see cars similar to mine in the Windsor Star for triple that.

If you can catch a ferry to NY or something like that, you might be better off taking your money over there. You could stretch that $3500 CAN quite a bit farther.